Top BJP leader's aide shot dead in violence after Indian state election

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. Top BJP leader's aide shot dead in violence after Indian state election46 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleMeryl Sebastian , NewsandMoyurie Som , BanglaANIChandranath Rath was shot dead on Wednesday night while he was in a car on his way homeThe aide to a top leader from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party has been shot dead in violence that broke out after elections in West Bengal state. Chandranath Rath was personal assistant to Suvendu Adhikari, seen as the front-runner to become the state's new chief minister after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won the vote. Rath was on his way home on Wednesday night when he was killed.

Police are investigating but haven't made any arrests yet. Rath is among at least three people killed in the eastern state since Monday when results were announced. Police said before Rath's death that they had arrested more than 400 people in connection with incidents of violence and intimidation.

The Details

Violence is not uncommon in West Bengal after elections, with clashes often breaking out between rival party workers. On Monday, the BJP marked a historic victory in the state, which it has never won before, ending a 15-year-rule by Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) party. Tensions have been high in West Bengal for weeks, with the elections having been conducted in the backdrop of a controversial exercise to clean up voter rolls that left millions of people off the list.

Banerjee has alleged that the exercise removed thousands of non-BJP voters, paving the way for her defeat. The BJP and India's Election Commission have repeatedly denied these allegations. Rath's murder has escalated tensions, leading to fears of an increase in the scale of violence.

Adhikari called the death "heartwrenching". "This is a cold-blooded murder," he told reporters. PTIRath's murder has escalated tensions in West BengalPolice said they had found a car that was used in the crime but that its licence plate number was incorrect.

What Experts Say

"We also found live rounds and fired cartridges from the spot," West Bengal police chief Siddh Nath Gupta said. A witness told media that the shot was fired by a person on a motorcycle, but police have not commented on this or the number of attackers. The TMC, in a statement, strongly condemned the killing.

"Violence and political killings have no place in a democracy and the guilty must be held accountable at the earliest," the party said, demanding a court-monitored investigation. Both parties have claimed that their workers have been killed in post-poll violence - the BJP two and the TMC three, each blaming the other. Police have not confirmed the party affiliations of the two victims other than Rath.

Adhikari and other BJP leaders alleged that law and order in West Bengal had deteriorated under Banerjee's rule.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.